Nearly 60 House Republicans on Monday signed onto an amicus brief in the Justice Department’s lawsuit against a controversial Georgia election law, asking a federal judge to dismiss the legal challenge.
“Non-discriminatory state laws that are designed to protect election integrity do not infringe upon the right to vote,” they told an Atlanta-based federal judge. “To the contrary, ‘the right to vote is the right to participate in an electoral process that is necessarily structured to maintain the integrity of the democratic system.’”
The DOJ filed a lawsuit in late June against the state of Georgia to “stop racially discriminatory provisions of the new voting law.”
“The right of all eligible citizens to vote is the central pillar of our democracy, the right from which all other rights ultimately flow,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This lawsuit is the first step of many we are taking to ensure that all eligible voters can cast a vote; that all lawful votes are counted; and that every voter has access to accurate information.”
Georgia asked a judge to toss out the lawsuit last week, calling the lawsuit a “politicized intrusion” into the state’s constitutional authority to regulate its elections.
The state’s election laws “are reasonable, non-discriminatory, and well within the mainstream of election laws across the country,” they wrote.
Many of the more controversial proposals for Georgia’s new voting law were ditched before it passed, but its scope and new powers given to the state over local election offices are notable.
Known as SB 202, it also adds a voter ID requirement for absentee ballots, shortens the time period for requesting absentee ballots and allows fewer ballot drop boxes in metro Atlanta than were available during last year’s election. Those were among the provisions that caught the attention of the federal government.
The amicus brief filed by the lawmakers argues that the case is “without merit,” citing the elections clause of the Constitution, which gives state legislatures "broad authority" to regulate the times, places and manner of elections.
"The Constitution grants states – not the Executive Branch or federal courts – broad discretion to prevent potential voter fraud and voter intimidation, including implementing voter ID," Rep. Rick Allen, R-Ga., told Fox News. "The Biden Administration’s lawsuit against Georgia is just the latest example of an ongoing effort to federalize elections, and is the same attempt that is being waged legislatively with Congressional Democrats’ For the People Act."
"We must reject these efforts and stand with the Constitution to defend states’ authority to conduct and administer elections," Allen added.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.